Model S Software/Firmware wishlist

[BertL]

I wish the (H) hill hold logo were somewhere I could see better. My steering wheel blocks the upper part of the display and I'm pretty average height. I can't imagine what it's like if you're tall - The steering wheel must block lots of info...

Yes, as I said here months ago, most important for me Is I can't easily see when Autopiloit/TACC is on or off because the indicators are at the top of the IC, along with so many of the important "idiot" and status lights being hidden by the steering wheel. After taking delivery when all was fine with 6.2, a month later when 7.1 was provided, I moved my seat as low as it will go and have moved the steering wheel up high enough so I can sorta see most, but not all of the indicators without craning my neck. My shoulders now tire quickly became of Tesla's UI choices -- especially on longer trips. I sent an email to Tesla Service regarding this when the new 7.1 UI came out, suggesting Tesla should priotize visibility of speed, autopilot, TACC, and critical idiot lights to the bottom of the IC over the further distance the toy car display shows (which IMHO is not as important). I only hope Tesla considered my perhaps single suggestion so all drivers can see the most important information 100% of the time when the 8.0 redesign is sent to my MS one day.

 

[dgpcolorado]

I wish the (H) hill hold logo were somewhere I could see better. My steering wheel blocks the upper part of the display and I'm pretty average height. I can't imagine what it's like if you're tall - The steering wheel must block lots of info...

I didn't even know there was a hill hold icon and I use it a lot, given where I live. Now I will have to look for it. Although I am tall I think the main reason I haven't seen it is because I am scanning for traffic when I come to hill hold intersections and am never looking at the dash. Making a left turn from a stop sign across traffic onto a 60 mph highway requires care! (There is only one stop light in my entire county, at the junction of the only two highways.)

 

[BozieBeMe2]

@BertL
I still think that as much as we have pointed it out, someone would listen.
I am Just under 5'6" and I can't se the High beam Auto indicator, the Hill Hold indicator and I think I'm not just one of the minorities .
Also would like the UI to change color or revert back to the 2014 UI, when the TACC & Auto Pilot drop off.
I'm sure others have dropped AP and didn't know it - Sheesh - stressful

 

[Vic4Model3]

Haven't read through all posts in this thread, but two items come to mind.
Navigation volume needs increase with the speed of the car. Secondly, when "Auto" is selected in the area relating to "fresh air", "recirculate", "biohazard", no icon is highlighted to indicate which of the three has been automatically selected. Auto mode seems to default to recirculate.

 

[BertL]

@BertL
I still think that as much as we have pointed it out, someone would listen.
I am Just under 5'6" and I can't se the High beam Auto indicator, the Hill Hold indicator and I think I'm not just one of the minorities .
Also would like the UI to change color or revert back to the 2014 UI, when the TACC & Auto Pilot drop off.
I'm sure others have dropped AP and didn't know it - Sheesh - stressful

Yup, that makes two of us. I may be a couple inches taller, but it's very clear to me Tesla's original 7.1 UI design isn't as optimum as it could be for all drivers. Sure, AP is the hip thing; it's what turns Elon and a lot of people on; and it gains a bunch of press, but prioritizing its graphical display to be front and center to all drivers over some other IC items just was not a good decision. As I put it to Tesla in an email several months ago, simply moving the "toy car display up", and moving the safety indicators such as speed and key "idiot" lights/indicators closer to the bottom just above the messages that occasionally pop-up, would allow 100% of drivers to see what's most important, and folks like us would then loose visibility to the top of the (long-range) AP graphic, but IMHO that's less important and nearly every driver would be able to see what's imperative to safely drive our MS with and without AP engaged. Since it has not been done already, I'm hopeful 8.0 makes some change like that if Tesla listens to and acknowledges practical use suggestions from its customers.

On your point of what happens when AP goes off, I agree that something better needs to be provided. I still find myself many times thinking I am turning off AP with a double pull-back of the stalk, to then realize TACC is still engaged if I've been running with AP for an extended period. (I tend to turn AP off if I see possible problematic situations ahead, especially if I'm in non-optimum driving conditions -- rain, fog, dark, or lots of traffic around me -- as I really want to be in full control without having to put on the brake.) I can't always see the small color indicators now as they are partially hidden by the steering wheel, and even if I could, would honestly prefer when I turn AP off, it does not drop back into TACC. I get why the choice was perhaps made from a technology POV to "come down a level in automated assistance", but from a safety perspective, I'm not so sure that really was the best choice. Others will disagree, I'm sure. At least provide me a driver setting to drop back to "all non-safety system assistance OFF" when I double pull back on the stalk, AND as you say, make the confirmation a lot more prominent when AP (and TACC) are turned off than they are today.

 

[BozieBeMe2]

Yup, that makes two of us. I may be a couple inches taller, but it's very clear to me Tesla's original 7.1 UI design isn't as optimum as it could be for all drivers. Sure, AP is the hip thing; it's what turns Elon and a lot of people on; and it gains a bunch of press, but prioritizing its graphical display to be front and center to all drivers over some other IC items just was not a good decision. As I put it to Tesla in an email several months ago, simply moving the "toy car display up", and moving the safety indicators such as speed and key "idiot" lights/indicators closer to the bottom just above the messages that occasionally pop-up, would allow 100% of drivers to see what's most important, and folks like us would then loose visibility to the top of the (long-range) AP graphic, but IMHO that's less important and nearly every driver would be able to see what's imperative to safely drive our MS with and without AP engaged. Since it has not been done already, I'm hopeful 8.0 makes some change like that if Tesla listens to and acknowledges practical use suggestions from its customers.

On your point of what happens when AP goes off, I agree that something better needs to be provided. I still find myself many times thinking I am turning off AP with a double pull-back of the stalk, to then realize TACC is still engaged if I've been running with AP for an extended period. (I tend to turn AP off if I see possible problematic situations ahead, especially if I'm in non-optimum driving conditions -- rain, fog, dark, or lots of traffic around me -- as I really want to be in full control without having to put on the brake.) I can't always see the small color indicators now as they are partially hidden by the steering wheel, and even if I could, would honestly prefer when I turn AP off, it does not drop back into TACC. I get why the choice was perhaps made from a technology POV to "come down a level in automated assistance", but from a safety perspective, I'm not so sure that really was the best choice. Others will disagree, I'm sure. At least provide me a driver setting to drop back to "all non-safety system assistance OFF" when I double pull back on the stalk, AND as you say, make the confirmation a lot more prominent when AP (and TACC) are turned off than they are today.

True, I have finally resorted to pressing the center button on the TACC/AP stalk whenever I want to make sure the system is 'Off'. Especially, if I want to reset the last chosen TACC speed limits. Several times I have pulled the stalk up and found myself accelerating to a higher MPH that the situation called for. I was expecting the TACC to initiate at the speed I was currently at, not merely 'Resume', the last used MPH.
If you want to hear a REAL WORLD PROBLEM, try going from an ICE to a Tesla, then back to a Tesla!
(I can't drive the Tesla into work,, I work for one of the Big Three, and that is seen as a no no)
What I wish for is the Tesla UI to be easier to see. I am constantly checking to see if the high beams are set, am I using the TACC, or why is she dodging from lane marker to lane marker?
Other than my learning pains, the Grin Just Grows
If I were only using just the Tesla, my old brain and habits would suffice

 

[PeterK]

True, I have finally resorted to pressing the center button on the TACC/AP stalk whenever I want to make sure the system is 'Off'. Especially, if I want to reset the last chosen TACC speed limits. Several times I have pulled the stalk up and found myself accelerating to a higher MPH that the situation called for. I was expecting the TACC to initiate at the speed I was currently at, not merely 'Resume', the last used MPH.
If you want to hear a REAL WORLD PROBLEM, try going from an ICE to a Tesla, then back to a Tesla!
(I can't drive the Tesla into work,, I work for one of the Big Three, and that is seen as a no no)
What I wish for is the Tesla UI to be easier to see. I am constantly checking to see if the high beams are set, am I using the TACC, or why is she dodging from lane marker to lane marker?
Other than my learning pains, the Grin Just Grows
If I were only using just the Tesla, my old brain and habits would suffice

Unfortunately on my X there is no button on the end of the stalk like the cruise control button with orange LED on my 2013 S. Switching between driving the two has one challenge, the lower-stalk placement of the turn signal on the S. On two occasions as I went into a right turn on a local street in the X I accidentally flicked up the autopilot stalk instead of the turn signal, and the car began "resume" acceleration. Both times I quickly tapped the brake to stop it, but it's something that shouldn't happen.

 

[HankLloydRight]

I had this idea when @austinEV and I were parking his Fiat 500 rental in front of a Tesla at Bonnie's party.. Since the Fiat is so small, it was really hard to judge the distance when backing up to the front of the Tesla behind us. We parked what we thought was close enough, but was almost a full car length (Fiat car length that is) in front, so I directed has he backed up even more.

But then I thought, why doesn't the TESLA front parking sensors (radar, sonar) monitor when another car is parking in front of it, and flash the head lights with increasing frequency as the car in front gets closer and closer, just like a back-up warning alert sounds. Sure, that would require that module being powered up all the time, but I don't think it would require the main system MCU to be powered up.. it could all be handled in the parking sensor module and send some blink signals to the headlights. In fact, if the backing car gets too close, the Tesla could honk the horn.

I don't know of any other car that does this, and I thought it was a pretty good Tesla-like feature. Allow the car to protect itself from other parkers getting close to it. Imagine if everyone knew when the car behind you starts flashing its lights, you are close enough, and a horn honk means STOP! YOU'RE TOO CLOSE!

 

[EdA]

1.) when I pull into a spot and I have delayed charging set, I'd like an indication before I get out of the car
(perhaps the charge icon turing blue)

2.) the controls for the maps should be "dockable" (and be moved closer to the driver by default)

3.) if you're on a road and there's traffic on that road priority should be given to the traffic indication and not the street name.
the street name should not cover up any traffic indication.

 

[BobC]

I'm wondering if a radar overlay can be added to the navigation/maps software. I think it would probably only be helpful if you are zoomed out a bit and not at the street level. It would be nice to see if there is particularly bad weather (i.e. hail) approaching so you could find shelter.

 

[malcolm]

Photoswap for Autopilot.

While Teslas overtake each other on the freeway they can each swap their particular view of the road.

As more Teslas are sold, there is a greater probability of more of them driving together in busy driving conditions.

So traffic congestion need not necessarily restrict the car's field of view.

 

[whttiger25]

I am sure this has been mentioned but this is along thread to read through!!

1. Gapless playback of music files on USB
2. Word wrap of directory/file/song names on USB

 

[bxr140]

Photoswap for Autopilot

V2V data sharing is the catalyst that will really accelerate acceptance of autonomous cars, IMO, both socially and legislatively.

 

[NuG]

1. Ability to pick which side is child locked, left or right not always both.
2. Name of song when listening to the radio
3. When selecting the driver profile, select that person's phone for Bluetooth automatically.
4. Fix slacker and play the actual song requested
5. Slacker - allow you to restart the song or go back

 

[trils0n]

2. Name of song when listening to the radio

Depends on the radio station. If the station is broadcasting that data it will show up, at least in my car it does.

 

[Hookemhorns]

Not important, but would be cool....the car knows when it is raining (wipers come on automatically).

So, when I tell the car to open the pano roof, and it is raining, a popular message appears:

"It's raining now, are you sure you want to open the roof? <open> <cancel>

 

[wjhepworth]

I personally would love to see a setting that causes the Tesla to pull the seat back and raises the steering wheel when you open the door and then pick a profile. I share my MS with my wife who has short legs and it is tough to get in there after she sat in the car.

Even better, allow multiple distinct key fobs and have the Tesla automatically pick the profile for the user based on the key fob.

 

[nitram26]

With the recent ATT outages today that impacted a lot of MS and X owners i would like to see an "offline mode" to save maps locally in google maps.. just like the recent updates to my google maps iPhone.. i can download certain area maps locally to the phone to save on data plans and make loading faster.

 

[msnow]

With the recent ATT outages today that impacted a lot of MS and X owners i would like to see an "offline mode" to save maps locally in google maps.. just like the recent updates to my google maps iPhone.. i can download certain area maps locally to the phone to save on data plans and make loading faster.

The Navigon maps you get on the dash when you start Nav are local and always available.

 

[nitram26]

The Navigon maps you get on the dash when you start Nav are local and always available.

interesting.. then why while driving the maps still load as they were downloading? i would imagine if the images are local it would be refreshing and the response time would be much quicker?